We Know
by cutekittenlady
Summary: Marinette discovers that two very important people have known her secret for some time.


Marinette could not believe the sight before her.

Before her stood Super Baker, armed with a dough roller large enough to crush a small car. And next to him stood his partner, Lady Pastry, who wielded the power to turn anything into a sugary treat with her whisk wand.

She'd have taken them both out right away if it wasn't for one thing.

Super Baker and Lady Pastry were her parents.

Hawkmoth had really stepped over the line with this one.

After a long and exhausting battle Ladybug had finally managed to free the akuma, only to be shocked to see a two white butterflies flutter from the now destroyed roller and whisk

"What... is going on?" she asked dumbfounded to no one in particular.

"Well," her mother unexpectedly answered looking somewhat sheepish. "we just wanted to see you."

Ladybug started. "W-why would you wanna see me mama- I mean ma'am!"

"Honey," her father put his large reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We know."

With those two words Marinette's Ladybug persona suddenly melted away. She didn't detransform, but instead the sharp confident heroine suddenly seemed to soften and slump her shoulders until she was very obviously Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Y-You...know?!"

Both of them nodded.

"H-how... I-I mean when..."

"Why don't we go back to the bakery and talk?" her father suggested.

Stiffly Marinette, still dressed as Ladybug, nodded.

"So" Marinette began awkwardly drumming her fingers on the coffee mug in her hands. "Uhm.. H-How long have you .. y'know?"

"Known? Years." Sabine told her in a calm reassuring manner. Tom was busy cooing at Tikki as he baked her a full pan of cookies.

"Years?!" Mari nearly choked on her hot chocolate. "Drink slowly sweetie." Sabine gently reprimanded her.

Marinette stared at her mother completely bug-eyed. Here she was having a mini-heart attack about her parents not only being akumatized (was it even called that if the butterflies were uncorrupted?), but also finding out immediately after that they had apparently known about her double life for YEARS.

"How? J-Just how? When?"

"Hmm we didn't really figure it out immediately. It was mostly noticing tiny things that were different. You were suddenly much more confident, and sure of yourself for one. We originally thought it was just because you had made such great friends with that Alya girl, and maybe gotten a confidence boost from watching Ladybug's heroics day in and day out on tv."

Marinette flushed. Had she really watched the news reports on herself that often?

"After that it was mostly the combination of how tired and sluggish you seemed every time Ladybug saved the city, you were suddenly a lot more forgetful, and we really became concerned when we started hearing you talking to yourself in your room."

"It all came together after your father saw ladybug land on our roof one night and not leave it. And the same thing happened night after night. When all the pieces clicked together we weren't sure what to do."

A crease of guilt grew on Marinette's brow. Had she really worried her parents that much?

"At first I wanted to confront you right away, but your father thought it would be best to give it time. Time for us to think things out clearly." Sabine stared down into her tea with a small smile on her face. "To be honest it hurt a little that you didn't tell us right away. And we wondered if it was because you didn't trust us."

"No!" Marinette stood up suddenly nearly spilling her hot chocolate. "I-it wasn't like that at all! It's just... It's just... T-Tikki said I couldn't tell anyone about her because it was dangerous, and I didn't want you two to get involved and-"

"Shh" her mother soothed. "It's alright honey. We figured that out eventually. It's part of the reason we didn't say anything. Mind you we weren't happy about our only daughter running off to fight evil, against god knows who, at ungodly hours of the night, and with a young man we didn't know at the time.

But we realized that you were doing all this because of all the morals we taught you growing up. if we suddenly told you to stop, what kind of example would that set? _Do the right thing until your parents tell you not to?_ Not really something we wanted to instill in your mind.

So we decided to keep mum about it. At least until you started going to university."

"B-but, I entered University last year." Marinette said confused. "And you guys never said anything."

"We tried dear." Tom entered the conversation, bringing with him a plate of cookies. "But... well..."

"You stopped calling as much." her mother sighed sadly. "And you got so busy that we never saw each other."

Marinettes eyes dropped with guilt as she began staring at her shoes.

"Part of us was afraid you had figured out we knew and were distancing yourself for our own safety."

That only increased Marinette's feeling of remorse. Because it was partially true.

She had begun avoiding her parents to keep them safe. Hawkmoth had dropped off the map a year previously. But apparently different evil madmen had decided to take that as an opportunity to spread havoc. She hadn't wanted to risk her parents getting involved in that and so had begun keeping to herself and her small circle of friends.

She had thought her parents would just write it off as their daughter growing up, but apparently she had been wrong.

"M-Mama… papa…" She began quietly. "I-I'm so so sorry."

"It's not your fault Marinette." Tom reassured her.

"N-not my fault? Not my fault?!" Marinette could only stare at her parents as she consumed herself with guilt. "This is entirely my fault! How could I not notice that you knew? How could be so blind to how I was making you feel?! It even got to the point where you were both akumatized just so you could come out and see me! I'm the worst daughter in the world!"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" Sabine's voice became harsh and scandalized. "Do not say that about yourself! You are not a mind reader, you can't realistically expect to be able to pick up on how people are feeling twenty-four hours a day! Besides, your father and I took steps to ensure you didn't learn that we knew. The last thing we wanted was for this to weigh heavy on your mind, especially as you grew up through such a sensitive time of your life!"

Marinette sniffled, fighting back the tears.

Despite all of her mother's words she still felt terrible. She had two of the most wonderful and understanding parents in the world, and she had failed to see just how lucky she was to have them until this very moment.

"Besides," Tom put in. "We volunteered to be given powers."

If it was possible, Marinette's emotional rollercoaster came to an abrupt stop as she looked at her parents wide-eyed.

" _Volunteered?!_ "

Sabine sighed. "Tom, honey, we hadn't gotten to that part yet."

"Y-You… you volunteered?!" Marinette repeated dumbfounded. "D-Did I really push you THAT FAR!?"

She stopped as another idea came into her mind. Her face contorted into anger.

"Did Hawkmoth threaten you?" her voice was low and dangerous.

Tom was quick to pick up on the dangerous tone in his little girl's voice and quickly set about tempering her anger. You didn't get married to Sabine Cheng and not learn how to be careful when the tiny black haired woman got deadly serious.

"No honey. He didn't threaten us. It's… more complicated than that."

"Complicated how?" she demanded.

Sabine and Tom looked at one another.

"Well," her mother shrugged. "You see Hawkmoth kinda gave up on stealing your miraculous about a year ago. And since then he's been… kind of a mess."

"You know how me and the grocer go to that nice bar down the street right every friday night right?" her father asked.

Marinette nodded.

"Well, one time we went together and Pierre had to head home early. I decided I would finish my glass before heading home myself. The bar was more or less deserted. Slow time of night and all that." Tom took a careful breath before carrying on. "Anyway there was this… _very recognizable_ gentleman lying slumped over at the end of the bar. He was very obviously drunk, and the bartender said he had never been there before so he had no idea where the man had come from or what to do with him. I couldn't just leave him there, so I decided I would take him back home with me, and see if i can't call up the police to get the man home."

Sighing deeply, Marinette knew she should be proud. Her Papa was one of the kindest people in all of Paris. But considering this stranger he had helped had apparently turned out to be HAWKMOTH she wasn't quite sure whether to be proud or not.

"He uh… he muttered some revealing stuff. Mostly about akuma, and miraculous, and how those slippery heroes always won out in the end, etc etc." Under his daughters watchful gaze, Tom cleared his throat. "Well, now I KNEW I couldn't just leave him alone. So I dragged him back here and uh.."

"We sobered him up and had a _talk._ " her mother put in coyly. "A nice, long, talk."

"Oh." Marinette sat back feeling numb. "A-and…?"

"We helped him recognize some of his issues." Tom explained.

"What issues?"

"Now Marinette," Sabine scolded. "Even if he is your former archnemesis you can't expect us to share such private information with you."

"Alright alright!" Marinette sat just breathing for a moment taking all this in. "A-and he gave you superpowers?"

"Temporarily." Her father shrugged.

"We thought it would be the best way to break the ice."Her mother explained. "Meet on equal ground, if you know what I mean."

"Okay. I think I get it." slumping over Marinette sighed. "Well at least Chat Noir and I won't have to deal with Hawkmoth anymore. Though I have no idea how I'm going to explain this to him."

"Oh he knows." Tom said with a smile.

This time Marinette fell out of her chair in shock.

Sabine shot her husband a glare that made the large man shrink back.

"You told Chat Noir about this?!" Marinette asked. "I-I mean, I didn't even know you guys had met him properly yet!"

"Oh honey, what did I tell you?" Sabine sighed. "We know everything, you don't have to keep the secret on his behalf."

"What secret?"

Sabine just carried on. "You've brought him to the house so often, really I have no idea how the two of you kept your identities secret. Always spending time together outside of costume and such."

"He is a nice boy though." Tom nodded along. "I was tempted to break his arms at first when I realized he was out doing god knows what with you well into the wee hours of the morning. But after seeing and talking to him several times I realized he'd probably be good for you."

"So you see, you really don't have to worry honey. We already know everything."

Marinette rose from the floor and stared at her parents.

"You... " the words could scarcely leave her mouth. "You KNOW who Chat Noir is?"

Tom nodded with a huge smile on his face. "Yes! It was difficult to convince him and his father to attend family counseling but we managed it in the end. Happier Chat Noir, and a no longer evil Hawkmoth. So you see it all worked out in the end. I'm sure they'll both be getting along better in no time."

"Honey! You weren't supposed to tell her that!" Sabine hissed. "We were gonna wait until later to tell her Hawkmoth was Gabriel."

"Oh, she's a smart girl darling. She probably figured it out long ago, right sweetie?" Tom looked at his daughter with a smile on his face.

Marinette stood frozen staring at a blank space on the wall unblinking.

Slowly she began to piece things together.

Her parents knew she was Ladybug.

Her parents knew who Hawkmoth was.

Her parents also knew who Chat Noir was.

They had sent Chat and his father to family counseling, meaning Chat Noir had problems with his dad.

They had also, apparently, sent hawkmoth to family counseling.

But that would mean Hawkmoth was Chat Noir's dad.

But her parents knew who Hawkmoth was and Hawkmoth was apparently Gabriel Agreste.

Gabriel Agreste only had one child.

Adrien Agreste.

And Chat Noir was the son of Hawkmoth who was really Gabriel Agreste, so unless Gabriel Agreste had had an illegitimate child that would mean…

Would mean….

"Honey?" Her father's voice floated vaguely through her mind, dripping with concern.

"O-Oh no." Sabine voice followed soon after. Halting and filled with apprehension. "M-Marinette.. Did you… did you not know? A-about… you know… Adrien?"

Oh right. That was the final piece.

Adrien was the son of Gabriel. The only son of Gabriel.

So since Chat Noir was the son of Hawkmoth who was really Gabriel Agreste who only had one son that would make Adrien Agreste Chat Noir.

It all made sense now!

Her eyes rolling up to the ceiling, Marinette Dupain-Cheng fainted in her parent's kitchen.


End file.
